Friday, 31 January 2014

Just in time for Chinese New Year, I managed to clear out this bumper crop of products, which were used up between December and January.
1. Pixi Glow Tonic: I hauled back four bottles from London to Geneva after reading the online raves sparked by Caroline Hirons' recommendation in this blog post. Pixi has literally not been able to keep this on the shelves since Hirons wrote about it. It used to be available only in their flagship store in London but it recently became available on their UK and US websites in a new clear bottle packaging. The UK website ships internationally but is currently out of stock again of the tonic. It's not that expensive at £16 for 250ml. It contains 5% glycolic acid for exfoliating the skin and warding off acne. Used once daily, it did help to keep my skin relatively clear, smooth and blemish-free without irritating it, although my pores still needed manual purging from time to time. The only time that it stung slightly was when I applied it after using a Lush fresh mask. I would definitely repurchase this again if it is available.
2. REN Clarifying Toning Lotion also worked well with my skin but is more expensive than Pixi Glow Tonic at £18 for 150ml. Used once daily, I finished this bottle in less than three weeks. The combination of salicilin from willow bark, glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid and tartaric acid works to exfoliate, tone and decongest the skin. I did not experience any irritation with this. It does help to keep my skin clear and is more easily available than Pixi Glow Tonic.
3. Astalift Cream did a good job of hydrating my skin but it also made me break out in small blemishes.

5. Astalift Essence Destiny is a light serum that comes with a pipette dispenser. I liked this better than the Astalift Cream as it hydrated my skin without making me breaking out.

6. Astalift Lotion does a good job of refreshing and toning my skin. I still have a full-size bottle of this in my stash.

7. Astalift Complete Make-up Remover Oil did a decent job of removing makeup but didn't feel that special to warrant a full size purchase.
8. Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Body Wash has a lovely citrus scent and cleanses well without drying out my skin.

9. Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Shampoo and Conditioner did not feel as deeply moisturising as Shiseido's Tsubaki range.
10. Lancome Tonique Radiance Clarifying Exfoliating Toner is alcohol-heavy (second on the ingredient list). I accidentally got some in my eye while closing the cap and it stung pretty bad. The Ren Clarifying Lotion and Pixi Glow Tonic are much better alternatives.

11. Helena Rubenstein All Mascaras Complete Eye Makeup Remover proved to be no match for Majolica Majorca's infamous waterproof mascaras. I still don't understand why HR's mascaras top many Japanese beauty magazine polls.
12. Kiehl's Clearly Correcting Dark Spot Solution feels very light on the skin and absorbs well without leaving a film. I didn't notice a significant reduction in the spots on my cheeks though so I probably will not repurchase this.

13. La Mer Moisturising Gel Cream worked surprisingly well with my skin. It helped keep the skin flakes at bay and did not make my skin too oily or cause any blemishes.

14. Lancome Genefique Yeux did a good job of hydrating the eye area without causing any milia. I liked it but probably won't repurchase it as I still have some other eye creams to use up.
15. Sarah Chapman Skinesis Neck and Chest Rejuvenating Complex: This deluxe sample was a gift with purchase. It did a decent job of hydrating but other than that, it was nothing special. I don't really see the point of using a different moisturiser for the neck versus the rest of the body.

16. Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream is gentle enough to use two to three times a week. I find it to be more effective than Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. When I use this, I skip the exfoliating lotions so as not to over-exfoliate my skin, which can cause it to get thinner.

17. REN Frankincense Revitalizing Night Cream worked well in hydrating my skin during these dry winter months without making it excessively oily. It does have a distinctive scent but I didn't mind it. The Frankincense range has been revamped and renamed the V-cense range.
18. Vera Wang Satiny Body Lotion was nicely hydrating and did not leave an oily film. The scent is cloyingly sweet though.

19. Rituals Lao Tze Chinese Mint and Yi Yi Ren Cooling Foot Balm did a good job of moisturing my feet and I loved the relaxing scent. The cooling sensation isn't that strong.

22. L'Occitane Fleurs Merveilleuses Shower Gel has a sweet floral scent that is not too cloying. I liked L'Occitane's shower gels but I only purchase them when they are on sale as they are too pricey at normal retail price.

23. Philosophy Sweet Honey Orange Jam was a delicious orange scent but it does not linger on the skin much.
24. Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum works very well for de-frizzing my hair and I like the scent too. It is pricey but I would repurchase this.

25. Nick Chavez Volumizing Shampoo wasn't particularly volumizing.

26. Percy & Reed Beautifully Bouncy Volumising Conditioner was also not that memorable in terms of the effect it had on my hair.

Saturday, 25 January 2014

Here's the ad visual for the upcoming Suqqu spring collection, due out on 31 January in Japan. The concept behind the collection is to present refined, elegant browns that are easy to use without being boring through the inclusion of accent shades. The shades do not turn ashy when applied. UPDATE: See swatches on Erica's blog and Sherry's Facebook.
The three new Blend Color Eyeshadow quads (7140yen) are permanent. The semi-matte pearl base shade in the lower right corner of each quad is made with a new "moisture wet technology" formula with enhanced moisturising content compared to the previous formula. This enables the shade to be used as a base shade that conceals imperfections and skin unevenness or on top of the other shades for a natural pearly glow. The top left shade is a Light Color (Pearly) for brightening; top right shade is an Arrange Color (Pearly) for adding depth; and bottom left is a Deep Color (Pearly) for a fresh, playful accent.

Blend Color Eyeshadow #15 蜜茶 Mitsucha
#16 花菖蒲 Hanashoubu (used on the model)
#17 蓬色 YomogiiroBalancing Cheeks N (6825yen): The left shade is a Nuance Highlight color with red and gold pearl, with a dry formula that helps the Cheek Color (right) meld into the skin. The Cheek Color is made with the wet technology formula for a translucent, glow-from-within finish.

Here's the new ad for Maquillage Essence Glamorous Rouge Neo (2415yen) featuring Mizuhara Kiko. The Neo version of this bestselling liquid lipstick has 120% more moisturising content than the original version for a lip mask effect, thanks to ingredients such as soluble collagen, hyaluronic acid saxifraga stolonifera extract and glycerin. Available in 4 permanent shades and 2 limited edition shades (see the range here).

Another clip for the Majolica Majorca Eye Hunter collection for spring.

Dior's Triannon collection for spring doesn't appeal to me much but this pair of My Lady Blush 002 and 003 (7350yen each), released exclusively at Isetan in Japan on 8 January do look awfully pretty. They are embossed with Dior's iconic Cannage design motif, similar to the Harrods-exclusive My Lady Healthy Glow Complexion Enhancing Palette from last March. I haven't seen these being released elsewhere though.